


Different Does Not Mean Broken

by Aria_Lerendeair



Category: Supernatural
Genre: A/B/O Universe, Acceptance, Alpha!Gabriel, Angst, Asexuality, Cuddling, Fluff, Insecurity, M/M, Wings, alpha!Castiel, asexual!sam, omega!Sam, omega!dean, wing!fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-04-04
Packaged: 2018-05-31 03:02:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6452866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam is an omega who never manifested his heats, and he has no interest in having an alpha show him that he's just missing the right knot.  </p><p>When they go into the cities, he and Dean end up at a party where Dean meets his mate, and he meets, well, an annoying archangel.  </p><p>But maybe...maybe...he's got more in common with this archangel than he thinks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Different Does Not Mean Broken

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Janimoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janimoon/gifts).



> THIS IS THE OTHER VERY BELATED BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR JANI AND I HOPE THAT SHE LOVES IT!!

 

 

Sam sighed and sipped at his drink for a few seconds and watched another alpha walk past him, sniff in confusion and then keep walking. At least Dean was having fun.

 

Well, if fun was confusing every single alpha with his scent and attitude (which it was to Dean), he was having plenty of it. But one alpha had figured him out and they were circling each other, both of them trading comments.

 

Dean's wings snapped out behind him, a show of dominance that Sam was almost positive that he didn't feel. He stood up a little bit straighter, but the alpha in front of his brother only stared him down. Sam took another sip of his drink. He liked this alpha. He'd be good for Dean.

 

"Do I need to make a joke about Baby being put in a corner?" A voice called from the side.

 

Sam blinked and turned his attention to the man beside him. A quick sniff told him everything he needed to know. _Alpha_. Which meant that he would lose interest quick enough. "Since my name is decidedly not Francis, nor is my nickname Baby, no, I would say it isn't necessary."

 

The alpha laughed and Sam hated how much he liked the sound of it. As broken as he was as an omega, sometimes he couldn't help the easy and obvious attraction to a beautiful alpha. They all lost interest not long after. Maybe this one didn't have a good nose and he couldn't tell that Sam was different.

 

"So are you going to tell me why the hell you're standing in a corner nursing a drink of..." He sniffed. "Fairly expensive liquor? Shouldn't you be out there with your brother and my brother doing some version of a mating dance?"

 

Sam felt his wings puff out a little bit and he glared at the alpha in front of him. "No, thank you. I don't need to be stared at any more than I already am."

 

"Will you tell me your name at least?"

 

Sam sighed and looked up at the ceiling, settling his wings against his back. There was no point in being rude. He held out his hand. "Sam Winchester."

 

"Pleasure to meet you, Sam," The alpha purred. "My name is Gabriel Novak. My little brother Castiel is the one circling your brother out there."

 

Sam's eyes snapped to Dean, but even from here he could sense the joy Dean had in being chased like this, because the other alpha wasn't turned off by his strength. "Will he treat him right?"

 

Gabriel chuckled. "He would sooner slit his wrist than hurt someone, but I don't think he will need to be gentle with your brother, will he?"

 

"Nah," Sam said, smiling a little as he took another sip of his drink. Then he remembered that Gabriel was still there. "Why are you over here? Shouldn't you be on the hunt for your own eligible omega?"

 

Gabriel snorted and rolled his eyes, looking up at the omega. "Are you really that dense, or are you finishing for a compliment?"

 

Sam blinked in surprise and met the golden eyes of the alpha, watching as his wings shifted. His breath caught as he realized that Gabriel had six pairs of wings. He wasn't talking to any alpha. He was talking to an archangel. "I-"

 

"Right. Compliment it is," Gabriel said, giving a grin. "I am attempting to do so. Though hunting is really a shit term these days. No matter what both of our brothers are doing. I figured I'd start up a conversation with you."

 

"Why?" Sam asked. "You can smell it, can't you?"

 

Gabriel tilted his head. "What? That you don't have heats? Yeah, so?"

 

Sam wanted to laugh, but suddenly his throat felt too tight and his face was hot with shame. Hearing it said so openly, that he was broken and defective for an omega-

 

"Woah, woah," Gabriel said, eyeing Sam's wings as they arched up and behind him, menacingly and adding to the Omega's already tall height. "I don't care. I don't give a shit that you don't have heats."

 

Sam did laugh this time, though it hurt his throat and he turned away from the alpha and strode through the ballroom, trying to get as far as he could. The pain of tears burned at the back of his eyes. Alphas like Gabriel were the worst. The ones who pretended to not care, who thought they could fix him.

 

He was going to be sick.

 

Sam made it outside and over some bushes before he lost what he had eaten for dinner. He slumped down, his wings curling a little tighter around him.

 

The sound of a door clicking behind him had him whirling, his wings flaring out in a show of dominance. Gabriel twitched, but his wings stayed calm and tucked against his back. "Get away from me!"

 

"No one will bother you if I'm out here," Gabriel said. "Take all the time you need."

 

Sam blinked in surprise when Gabriel went to stand against the door, obscuring the window with his wings. He sucked in a slow breath and wished he had something to rinse his mouth out with. "What are you doing out here?"

 

Gabriel let out a low whistle and raised an eyebrow at the omega. "Someone did one hell of a number on you, didn't they?"  

 

"No one did anything to me!" Sam snapped, his wings curling tighter around him. "Despite being an omega, I never manifested heats! I've never wanted sex, and while I-" he cut himself off and strode to the other end of the balcony.

 

Gabriel hummed and watched Sam stalk away from him. "Just because you don't get heats doesn't mean you're broken. There are alphas that don't get ruts, and no one judges them."

 

Sam blinked and glared over his shoulder, shifting a wing so he could stare at Gabriel. "The stigma isn't the same. Those alphas still find mates, still find omegas who want them!"

 

"You're right," Gabriel said, tapping his jaw thoughtfully. "And it's not fair that you are ostracized for something that you can't control. But why come tonight?"

 

Sam choked on the words in his throat. That, despite not getting heats and not wanting to have sex, he desperately, desperately wanted a mate. Someone to understand, someone to show him that he wasn't _broken_...

 

"It doesn't matter," Sam said, tightening his fingers on the edge of the balcony. He'd head home tonight. At least there, people were used to him, his slightly-off scent and no one asked questions, not any longer.

 

"Of course it matters," Gabriel said, raising an eyebrow as Sam's posture tensed all over again. "I'm curious, Sam."

 

"Why?" Sam spat. "Think that you can _fix_ me? Think that your knot will somehow inspire heats in me? Make me want to have sex?"

 

Gabriel tilted his head to the side. "No. Why would it?"

 

Sam blinked for a moment and stared at Gabriel. "What game are you playing at?"

 

Gabriel shrugged, his wings assuming a non-threatening posture against his back. "You're not like other omegas. I like the way you look, and I like the way you smell. At one of these events, that's more than enough to start a conversation with you."

 

"And now?" Sam spat, glaring at Gabriel. "Now that you know I am broken-"

 

"You aren't broken," Gabriel interrupted, his voice quiet but certain. "You want something different, and that's fine. But you aren't broken, Sam."

 

Sam flinched and clenched his eyes shut. It was the first time someone had ever said that to him that wasn't his brother. The words hurt because he didn't know if Gabriel meant them. If he even could mean them. "I, so why the hell aren't you running far away from me?"

 

"Because I still like the way you look, and smell, and that you are absolutely not like any of the omegas in there," he said, pointing a thumb back at the social event. "For one, you're built like a brick shithouse, which I like."

 

Sam blinked and shook his head, because the things Gabriel was saying didn't make sense. "So you don't care that I don't want sex, or that I-"

 

"Nope," Gabriel said, smiling a little, his wings spreading to indicate his honesty. "Kinda a relief considering."

 

"Considering what? You have performance problems?" Sam sneered, well aware that he was toeing a line with the archangel.

 

Gabriel shrugged. "Nah. But I'm not built like my brother. Most omegas want to be with me because of the archangel thing, not because they like me, or are attracted to me."

 

Sam opened his mouth to respond and then snapped it shut. He could see how it was true, though he had no problem liking the look of Gabriel. The omega in him wanted to curl up in Gabriel's arms and wings and never leave. He sighed and pushed his fingers through his hair and lowered his wings into a more open posture. "I'm sorry."

 

Gabriel smiled and nodded, accepting the apology. "You had more than enough to reason to snap, but I was willing to wait you out."

 

Sam chuckled a little and walked closer, before remembering his mouth and he frowned, wiping at it. "I need-"

 

Gabriel held out a small water bottle that was still sealed, from one of his pockets. "I swiped this earlier, since you're supposed to drink fancy shit at these things."

 

Sam took the bottle of water gratefully and checked to make sure it actually was sealed before he washed his mouth out and spit back into the bushes. He swallowed a few more gulps of water to lessen the burn and crumpled the small water bottle and stuffed it into his pocket. "Thanks," he said, offering Gabriel a small smile.

 

Gabriel grinned and winked at Sam. "Well, thank you for proving me right."

 

Sam blinked and tilted his head a little bit, his wings ruffling with his confusion. "For what?"

 

"Proving that your smile is every single bit as gorgeous as I thought it would be," Gabriel said, giving Sam a wink.

 

Sam burst out laughing and his wings gave a delighted shiver at the idea that his smile was gorgeous to the alpha.

 

"Woah," Gabriel whispered, his eyes taking in the sight of Sam completely consumed in laughter. If he'd thought that small smile was brilliant, it had nothing on the full body-and-wings laugh Sam had going on now.

 

"Do lines like that actually work on omegas?" Sam asked, stepping closer to Gabriel.

 

Gabriel smirked and looked up at Sam. "Maybe? Why don't you tell me if it's working?"

 

Sam laughed again and grinned down at Gabriel, letting the last of the tension fade from his wings. "You're one weird alpha, you know that?"

 

Gabriel shrugged and gave Sam a happy grin. "Hey, I like being weird, don't insult it."

 

"All right, so mister weird alpha-"

 

"Gabriel," he interrupted, smiling at sam. "Come on, Sam, we're introduced. Use my name."

 

"All right," Sam started again, "Mister weird alpha Gabriel, what do you propose we do from here?"

 

Gabriel smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Well, unless you want to reenact the weird-ass mating dance our brothers are doing, I'd say coffee is maybe in order?"

 

Sam shook his head and his wings. "No mating dance, please, but maybe a place that does tea and coffee?"

 

Gabriel nodded. "Tea and coffee and I can do. Would you mind giving me your phone number, or would you prefer to meet somewhere?"

 

Sam blinked in surprise and stared at Gabriel. "You wouldn't be insulted if I didn't give you my phone number?"

 

"Nah. Though I would like to talk to you more, so I might move up the date to sometime this week if you didn't want to exchange them," Gabriel said with a shrug.

 

The open honesty from Gabriel wasn't something he was used to and Sam nodded as Gabriel opened the door for them and led them back into the party. "I can give you my phone number, it's fine," Sam managed.

 

Gabriel smiled at him, bright and wide, his golden eyes shining and his wings ruffled with happiness. Sam felt his heart start to pound in his chest as he took Gabriel's phone and typed his number into it.

 

After that, the party wasn't so bad. Dean and Castiel had disappeared, but Sam couldn't bring himself to mind. Instead, Gabriel spent the entire night with him, and no one whispered to him, not when an _archangel_ was talking to him.

 

Sam couldn't resist preening a little bit at the attention, and when Gabriel noticed, he gave Sam an approving nod.

 

"You're the most beautiful omega in the room. You put them all to shame," Gabriel whispered, smiling at Sam.

 

"I don't know about that Mister Archangel," Sam teased, grinning at Gabriel. "None the less, the compliment is appreciated, thank you."

 

The party was almost empty by the time Sam realized he really did need to leave Gabriel for the night. Thankfully, his phone buzzed as soon as they had said their goodbyes and he flipped it open and smiled at the message.

 

_'My life is decidedly less bright without your smile in it. I miss you already.'_

 

His heart pounded a little bit harder and Sam chewed on his lower lip and did a quick loop, stretching his wings as he flew towards his house.

 

As soon as he landed, his phone was out and in his hand and after a moment, Sam sent off a reply to Gabriel. _'Good thing I'm still in your life. You just have to wait two days to see me again. And I maybe miss you a little.'_

 

_‘Only a little? Sam, I’m devastated.’_

 

Sam grinned and immediately sent off another snappy reply to Gabriel. _‘Fancy words for the archangel who spent the night hanging out with me.’_

 

Even though their date was set for Tuesday, Sam felt like he hadn't stopped talking to Gabriel since the party on Saturday night. His phone seemed to vibrate constantly, and it wasn't always something important, sometimes it was random observations and pictures from Gabriel.

 

One memorable occasion had been Gabriel sending a picture of his socks and saying that he thought they had matched that morning. Sam had stared at the orange and bright green socks and had burst out laughing in the middle of work. He figured that Gabriel had to be the worst kind of morning person and he maybe fantasized a little bit about what it would be like to see him wake up, sleepy and all rumpled.

 

The coffee date ended up being almost four hours and over the course of three coffees, and almost extended into a dinner date, but Sam got shy and said that dinner might be better for the weekend rather than the middle of the week when he had work.

 

Gabriel agreed easily enough and when Sam got home that night, he stared at his phone for over an hour, wondering what it was that Gabriel was playing at and when the other shoe was going to drop. Because it would. It always did. Gabriel was going to hurt more than the others, because Gabriel never brought it up, and he stressed Sam's choice and the fact that he wasn't broken.

 

Sam decided that it was worth letting himself pretend for a little while longer. Especially when Dean wanted to stay in the cities so he could regularly see Castiel. But they wouldn't be here forever, and either Dean would stay with Cas and Sam would return home alone, or...

 

He shook his head as his phone buzzed again, and he focused on it and the picture Gabriel had sent him. There was no point in worrying about that for right now.

 

~!~

 

Two more dinners and another handful of coffee dates, Sam had to admit that he was in deep. Gabriel was wonderful, and though he had snuck a couple of kisses (every single time when Sam wasn't paying attention), he hadn't pushed anything further and Sam maybe loved him for it.

 

But the house that they had rented in the cities would no longer be theirs in a few weeks and that meant they needed to decide what to do. Though Dean hadn't talked to him about it, Sam was certain that Dean would stay in the cities with Castiel. He stared up at the ceiling and wondered what Gabriel would think.

 

He'd need to bring it up on their date tonight. Maybe they could figure something out, and Gabriel could come visit him. Or, or something else. Sam squeezed his eyes shut even as his phone vibrated again, reminding him that he had a message from Gabriel that he needed to work on answering.

 

_'See you tonight Samshine! Do me a favor and wear that white button up? Jeans are still fine, but a nice shirt is needed for where we're going tonight.'_

 

Sam ruffled his feathers nervously and bit down on his lip, wondering exactly what Gabriel had planned for him and he hoped that it wasn't anything too extravagant. Knowing Gabriel that wouldn't be the case, but he could hope. He took a deep breath and pushed himself off the couch and headed for his room. He might as well get started on making sure he looked his best tonight for Gabriel.

 

By the time Gabriel had arrived to pick him up, Sam was beyond nervous, his wings twitching behind him every few seconds, and he's almost picked a hole in his black jeans. Gabriel landed in front of him, all six of his wings glistening in the sunset and Sam wanted nothing more than to curl up in Gabriel's arms and stay there forever.

 

"Well, don't you look absolutely stunning," Gabriel said, smiling at Sam as he lifted his hand and kissed the back of it. "I hope that you're hungry tonight. I picked the place out with you in mind, knowing how much you can put away."

 

Sam laughed, because that sounded incredible and exactly what he wanted, but he wasn't sure that he would be able to eat anything, let alone dig in. "That sounds great, Gabriel. Where are we going?"

 

Gabriel gave Sam's hand a squeeze and winked at him. "Let's just say I pulled some archangel-level authority to get us into this place and I know you'll love it."

 

The excitement from Gabriel was infectious and Sam immediately took off behind Gabriel, flying into the night sky. Gabriel was excited, doing loops around him, his extra wings adding for the mobility and flexibility Sam didn't have. Any other time, he would have gotten distracted admiring Gabriel, but now it was just a reminder of what he wouldn't have in just a few weeks.

 

When they landed on the balcony of one of the highest buildings in the cities, Sam's breath caught when he realized where they were. He turned to Gabriel, because the restaurant in front of him was supposed to be-

 

"You like it, don't you? You'd talked about wanting to eat at Hell's Kitchen, and I was able to get us a table..." Gabriel trailed off, rubbing at the back of his head.

 

Sam immediately reached out and wrapped his hands around Gabriel's face, pulling him in for a kiss. His wings gave another nervous flutter and he smiled at Gabriel, bright and wide. "I love it. I love everything about it. I am so excited, this is perfect, Gabriel, thank you so much."

 

Gabriel gave him a sunny grin and took his hand again and Sam felt his heart turn over in his chest as Gabriel announced their couple's reservation. Gabriel's presence immediately caused a little bit of a stir, but Sam squeezed his hand tight and blushed when Gabriel refocused on him instead.

 

"Here you are."

 

Sam nodded to the hostess and smiled at Gabriel as they slid into the private booth, stretching and adjusting their wings to fit easier.

 

Gabriel smiled at Sam and glanced around them to make sure they had at least a little bit of privacy. "So, while tonight is not a filming night, I thought this might be a good surprise for you."

 

Sam nodded, looking around the restaurant. "This is awesome, you didn't have to, but thank you so much Gabriel!"

 

"You don't need to thank me Sam," Gabriel said. "You deserve all of this and more. I'm the one who is lucky that you give me the time of day."

 

Sam flushed and swallowed hard and he thought about the conversation that he needed to have with Gabriel. In a second, his nervousness was back, only ten times as worse. He fluttered his wings and frowned when they puffed up anyways, betraying his nervousness.

 

"May I ask a question, Sam?" Gabriel asked, reaching out for his glass of water to take a sip. "Will you tell me why you're so nervous? Whatever it is has you wound up tighter than a slinky."

 

Sam burst out with a nervous laugh and shook his head, because god that was an accurate mental image. "I..." He sighed and then twisted when he heard the waiter coming their way. He waited until after Gabriel had ordered them both wine to go with their meals and the waiter had left to get their appetizers before he tried again.

 

Gabriel only gave him a patient smile and Sam told himself that he needed to man up already. "Okay, so, Dean and Cas are going to end up mated, right? I think at this point, everyone is just waiting for the happy announcement."

 

Gabriel chuckled and nodded. "Yes, I would say that is absolutely the case. Our brothers seem, almost surprisingly suited. I'm happy for the both of them."

 

"Right," Sam said, clearing his throat and fidgeting with the stem of his water glass. "Well, in a few weeks, the lease on the apartment we have here in the cities will end, and we'll, uh, need to figure out what to do."

 

Gabriel raised both of his eyebrows and drank some more of his water. His wings ruffled in worry, but he focused on Sam again. "I see. Will you return home at that time?"

 

Sam's mouth felt dry and his stomach tightened as he stared at Gabriel. "I don't know?" he whispered.   "I mean, Dean is gonna stay here with Cas, obviously, but we can't, I mean, I don't think I want, I don't know," he managed, staring at Gabriel, guilt settling so deep into his stomach that it hurt. "I don't want to leave you," he added, because it was important that Gabriel knew that.

 

"Well, I am relieved to hear that you don't want to leave me," Gabriel said, reaching out to give Sam's arm a squeeze. "I'd like you to try to do something for me, all right? Can you try to forget about this tonight? We'll have our date, enjoy ourselves, and then we'll talk to Dean and Cas about this tomorrow."

 

Sam bit down on his lip and he smiled at Gabriel. Now, more than ever, the urge to curl up in Gabriel's arms and wings overwhelmed him. "I was thinking, uh, maybe I could stay over with you tonight?" he offered, glancing up shyly at Gabriel.

 

Gabriel raised both of his eyebrows. "You want to do that?"

 

Sam cleared his throat. "I mean, I'm not, I don't want to, do, uh, stuff? I don't think? But I'd like to curl up with you and kiss you a lot more?" His heart did an embarrassing series of thumps when Gabriel gave him a soft, warm smile.

 

"All right," Gabriel agreed, nodding his head. "We'll head over to my place after dinner. But no pressure Sam. Hell, if you want to, we can just curl up and watch movies."

 

Sam laughed and relaxed for the first time that evening. Curling up with Gabriel where they could kiss and watch movies really sounded like the best kind of heaven. "Okay, we'll figure things out when we get there."

 

Gabriel winked at Sam. "Sounds perfect."

 

The rest of dinner went smoothly, and Sam was so grateful for it, but the second they started flying towards Gabriel's house, the nervousness was back. Would Gabriel push him, treat him like every other alpha had in the past? Show him that he just needed a proper knot to get over his issues?

 

"All right, so I don't have any clothes that fit you, so I'd keep the outfit you're wearing on, but if you want to be a little more comfortable, you can ditch the jeans and I'll keep sweatpants and a t-shirt on!" Gabriel called as he went over to the closet, his wings trailing behind him.

 

Sam relaxed again and when Gabriel came back out, wearing the exact outfit he had described, sweatpants and a t-shirt, it was easy enough to remove the button up, leaving the white shirt underneath it on. He bit his lip, but removed his jeans and socks, folding them and putting them on the dresser next to the bed. "Now what?"

 

Gabriel glanced around and then grinned. "Well, since I think the bed might make you uncomfortable, right?" He paused, waiting for a nod from Sam before he kept going. "Then we're going to grab a couple of blankets and go hole up on the couch. Plenty of space to kiss and curl up."

 

Sam followed Gabriel into the living room and in a matter of minutes he was snuggled against Gabriel's side, a wing tucked possessively around him. "Can I ask you a question Gabriel?"

 

Gabriel made a small noise of agreement and pressed a kiss to the top of Sam's head. "Of course."

 

Sam cleared his throat and hid his face against Gabriel's shoulder. There was no way that he could look at the alpha while he asked this. "What's going to happen when you go into rut? Or, I mean. Just want sex?"

 

Gabriel hummed and reached up to comb his fingers through Sam's hair and thought about it. "Well, I suppose that depends a little bit on you and how you feel about some things we could try that involve your participation but not me touching you."

 

Sam blinked and pulled back a little bit to stare at Gabriel. "Huh?"

 

Gabriel smiled and leaned in to kiss Sam, soft and gentle. "For example, would you be willing to watch me? While I touched myself?"

 

Sam blushed but he thought about it for a moment. There was no immediate feeling of disgust so he gave a hesitant nod. "I'd be fine trying that."

 

"Right," Gabriel said, keeping his fingers buried in Sam's hair. "There's other boundaries we can try and see if you are comfortable with."

 

"Like what?" Sam asked, his voice small and hesitant. But it was the first time anyone had offered other options other than fake lubricant and hormones to simulate him in heat.

 

Gabriel pressed a slow kiss to Sam's cheek. "Well, if I could kiss you, during. I wouldn't push it further than you were comfortable with. But I would like to be able to kiss you."

 

Sam flushed but he nodded a little more eagerly. That was something he could definitely do. He loved kissing Gabriel and could do it for hours. "That, yeah, I'd like to do that."

 

Gabriel nodded and tugged Sam in gently for another kiss. "I thought you might. The last thing I'd maybe like to try is see if you would be interested in touching me."

 

Sam sat up a little, his mind racing. He knew, without a doubt, that he wasn't interested in Gabriel touching him sexually, but he'd never thought about doing the reverse without reciprocation. The idea in his mind, watching Gabriel fall apart with his touches, wasn't a bad one, but he wasn't sure it was what he wanted, either. "I, maybe?"

 

Gabriel smiled and tucked his wing more securely around Sam. "It means a lot to me that you are willing to think about it at all. We'll try out the watching thing, and maybe the kissing and see how you feel with those."

 

Sam made a pleased noise, low in his throat and curled up against Gabriel again. "That sounds good."

 

"So does staying here all night," Gabriel teased, turning the television on to play low in the background. "Not sure that we'll end up doing that, but we can definitely see."

 

This time a chuckle escaped and Sam sagged into Gabriel. "Can you be happy like this? I mean, without someone who wants sex?"

 

Gabriel rubbed up and down Sam's arm slowly, offering him what comfort he could in this position. "I absolutely am. They invented toys for a reason, and if you are going to be there, kissing me, well, that's a pretty amazing thing."

 

Sam gave a small nod against Gabriel. "And when you have your rut...?"

 

"Just like you, Sam, I am not my biology. Whatever I'm dealing with, there are suppressants I can take, plenty of toys I can use, and as long as you don't mind me using them, we'll figure it out," Gabriel said, keeping his voice quiet as he tightened his wings around Sam's, cuddling him close.

 

Sam smiled and nodded again. "Okay."

 

Gabriel kept his attention on Sam, even as the omega started to relax and then went limp against him, falling completely asleep. He smiled and tucked Sam's hair carefully behind his ear. He would need to speak to Castiel tomorrow. He wasn't about to give Sam up, not for anything, even if it meant moving out to where Sam lived. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

 

A few hours later, Gabriel slowly roused Sam so they could move over to the bed. There was a brief moment of fear, but Gabriel immediately flopped on the bed and made one of his wings a blanket before ordering Sam to come over and cuddle.

 

The gesture put Sam in charge, with the power to pin Gabriel down, and he could almost see the relief in Sam's body as he walked closer and curled on top of his wing. Gabriel wrapped his wings around Sam again, protecting him from the outside world that didn't bother to see how completely amazing he was.

 

He wasn't about to let his omega go. Not ever.

 

~!~

 

When Sam woke up, he was warm, comfortable and he felt so safe and protected, he almost dozed off again. But a shift of feathers underneath him reminded him where he was and he sat up in a flurry of feathers. Gabriel made a grumpy noise beside him and Sam stared at the alpha as one golden eye was focused on him.

 

"What are you doing awake this early? Come back to sleep," Gabriel mumbled, blocking out the sunlight with a wing.

 

Sam chuckled and leaned down to give Gabriel a soft kiss. "How about instead I make us both breakfast while you work on waking up?"

 

Gabriel leaned into the kiss with a hum, but nodded easily enough. He watched Sam pull away and move towards the bedroom door, none of the hesitance or fear in his posture that had been there last night. He stretched and grinned at the rumpled mess his feathers were. Maybe Sam would help him comb them out before they have to face the outside world.

 

~!~

 

After a surprisingly good breakfast of omelettes made by Sam, Gabriel was in the middle of telling Sam that Cas should be home sometime soon, only to be interrupted by the angel opening the front door. He waved when Cas froze at the fight of him. "Hey Bro, about time you graced us with your presence!"

 

Castiel frowned at Gabriel and looked over to Sam as he shut the door behind him. "Is there something that I can do for you Gabriel?"

 

"Yeah!" Gabriel said, stuffing another bite of omelette into his mouth with a happy hum. "What are your plans with Dean? Are you going back to his home with him?"

 

Castiel blinked and tilted his head to the side. "Yes, I had thought to return with Dean and get away from the cities for a time. Learn more about his home and the people there."

 

Gabriel felt Sam tense beside him and he reached out to give Sam's arm a gentle squeeze. "So, I have an idea. I think Sam and I would like to have another month in the cities to settle our..." he turned to Sam and raised an eyebrow. "Affairs?"

 

Sam snorted and rolled his eyes. "Sure, I guess we can call it that."

 

"Right, so we need another month or so to get the rest of our stuff figured out. In the meantime, you two honeymooners can screw yourselves silly," Gabriel said, grinning at everyone. "Does that sound like a plan?"

 

Sam smiled. "Yeah, just need to talk to Dean and make sure he is all right with it before we do anything else."

 

Castiel nodded to Sam. "Of course, we will consult your brother to ensure that he agrees. I believe that he and I will be making an announcement of our mating before the end of this week."

 

Sam lit up, grinning bright and wide. "About time the two of you made it official!"

 

"Yes," Castiel agreed. "Will you be making your own announcement sometime soon, Gabriel?"

 

Sam froze, his eyes wide as he turned to look over at Gabriel. The two of them? Make a mating announcement? Gabriel would be laughed at, ostracized from polite society. His stomach turned over at the idea and he slid back from the table, hurrying towards the bathroom.

 

He lost his breakfast and kept his wings wrapped tightly around him, even when he heard Gabriel join him in the bathroom. "Sorry," he managed, wiping the back of his mouth. A hoarse laugh left him. "Apparently, we're replaying our first meeting."

 

Gabriel gave a quick smile as Sam stood up and moved towards the sink, immediately using the mouthwash to rinse out his mouth. "Apparently we are. But, unlike then, I don't quite know what happened there. Castiel is very sorry that he upset you."

 

Sam shook his head and washed his hands off, drying them slowly so he didn't have to look Gabriel in the face. "I shouldn't, shouldn't have reacted like that, I'm sorry."

 

"You don't need to be sorry for anything," Gabriel said, stepping closer to Sam, reaching out to touch his arm. "But if you're willing, I'd like to know what happened there, so we can avoid the topic in the future."

 

Sam wanted to laugh, because avoiding the topic of mating would be impossible, especially the more time they spent together. "I shouldn't have freaked out, it was stupid."

 

"Your feelings aren't stupid," Gabriel said, keeping his voice soft. He trailed his hand up Sam's arm to cup his face gently. "Will you tell me what happened?"

 

"Mating," Sam managed to get the word out and dropped his eyes to the floor, his heart pounding wildly as his wings rustled in agitation. "I, I mean, you know I can't, and I don't even know if I can be claimed without-"

 

"Woah," Gabriel whispered, pressing a finger to Sam's lips, watching as his omega blinked hard, a few tears falling down his cheeks. He leaned in and peppered his face with soft kisses. "Slow down for me there, sweetheart. Let's back up. So it was Cas asking about us mating."

 

"Yeah," Sam croaked, clenching his eyes shut.

 

"Okay," Gabriel said, keeping himself carefully pressed to Sam. "Now what about the rest? You mentioned a claiming?"

 

Sam flinched and forced himself to get the rest of the words out. "You can't claim me, not without a heat. I'll never," he swallowed hard. "I'll never smell properly claimed by you. And even if you did mark me, I didn't-"

 

Gabriel nodded and reached up to wipe some of Sam's tears away as he fumbled and stumbled over his words. "Okay, okay, it's okay sweetheart. So you're worried about that?"

 

"E-even if you wanted to claim me..." Sam started.

 

"I do," Gabriel said, keeping his voice soft. He smiled when Sam's eyes jumped to his in shock. "When you're ready. I absolutely do. If you want me."

 

Sam's mouth dropped open and he trembled, even as Gabriel's wings wrapped around him and cradled him carefully. "I, but what about-"

 

Gabriel smiled at Sam and leaned up to press a kiss to his heart. "Well, what you likely can't tell is that you already smell a bit like me. It's clear that you're seeing me."

 

Sam blinked in confusion and stared at Gabriel. "I do?"

 

"Yeah," Gabriel said, pressing his face against Sam's shirt. "I like it a lot more than I'm wiling to admit. I'm possessive, and it's an alpha thing. Because I'm an archangel, well, the scent claim is decidedly stronger than it would be for Cas."

 

"So," Sam said, his mouth going a little dry. "If you were to, you know, mark me?"

 

Gabriel hummed against Sam's shirt. "If I were to mark you, then every alpha would know that you are my omega, heat shared or not. There would be no question."

 

Sam shivered and reached up to comb his fingers through Gabriel's hair then trail them down and across the golden wings wrapped around them both. "And you want that with me?"

 

Gabriel nodded. "Yes, absolutely."

 

Sam blushed at the firmness in Gabriel's tone. "Why?"

 

Gabriel reached up and wrapped his hands around Sam's face and pulled him down for a soft kiss. "Because you are incredible. You do not let your differences define you. Because your smile makes my heart beat faster, and your kisses are amazing. Because I want to spend every single day showing you just how incredible you are, because you don't seem to know."

 

Sam stared at Gabriel, his eyes wide. "I...Gabriel?"

 

Gabriel smiled. "Because, Sam Winchester. When you look at me, you don't see only an archangel. You see _me_. And well, because, ever since you took my opening greeting to you and threw it back in my face, I have wanted to get to know you better."

 

Sam swallowed hard and flushed.

 

“The only thing I don’t know, Sam, is if you want me. I won’t force you into anything, and if you tell me that you need to have a few dozen more dates first, I am happy to do that too,” Gabriel said, smiling at him.

 

“B-but, you know. You’re sure,” Sam said, staring at Gabriel, at the way his eyes were almost glowing and how he felt so protected, wrapped up in Gabriel like this.

 

“Yeah,” Gabriel said, smiling at Sam again. “What about you?”

 

Sam bit down on his lip until he could taste blood. He’d never met another alpha like Gabriel, and he was well past prime mating age. They both were. But Gabriel made him feel comfortable, safe and never pressured. Most importantly, Gabriel never thought he was broken.

 

“Sam?” Gabriel asked, quietly.

 

Sam gave Gabriel a sunny grin and tugged him into a kiss, melting into Gabriel all over again. He kissed the shorter man until his lips were sore and he pulled back to grin at him. “Yes. You, I don’t feel broken with you, Gabriel, and that’s the best thing anyone could have ever given me.”

 

Gabriel grinned and stood up on his tiptoes to kiss Sam on the nose. “So maybe we’re not that far away from a happy announcement ourselves, huh?”

 

Sam shook his head and grinned back at Gabriel. His cheeks hurt, but he was positive that he had never been this happy.

 

“And just think,” Gabriel whispered, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “We’ll have to hold a nice big party to celebrate and we can spend the entire evening rubbing it in everyone’s faces.”

 

Sam laughed and held onto Gabriel even tighter. That definitely sounded like heaven to him.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
> You can find me here: 
> 
> [Aria-Lerendeair ](http://aria-lerendeair.tumblr.com/)
> 
> You can also watch me write fics like this (and dozens of others) live! Follow me on Livestream for fics, shenanigans and a general all-around awesome time! http://new.livestream.com/accounts/7212317


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